Spanish Generals who ordered the execution of

Rafael Izquierdo – Gomburza

Eulogio Despujol – Rizal

Gomburza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fathers Mariano Gómez, José Burgos and

Fray Jacinto Zamora

Gomburza marker at Luneta Park

Gomburza or GOMBURZA is
an acronym denoting the surnames
of the priests Mariano Gómez, José
ApolonioBurgos,
and Jacinto Zamora,
three Filipino priests who were
executed on 17 February 1872
at Bagumbayan inManila, Philippines by Spanish colonial authorities on charges of subversion arising from
the 1872 Cavite mutiny. Their execution left a profound effect on many Filipinos; José Rizal, the national hero,
would dedicate his novel El filibusterismo to their memory.[1]

The uprising by workers in the Cavite Naval Yard was the pretext[2][3] needed by the authorities to redress a
perceived humiliation from the principal objective, José Burgos, who threatened the established order.

Background
During the Spanish colonial period, four social class distinctions were observed in the islands. These were 1.)
Spaniards who were born in Spain— peninsulares, 2.) Spaniards born in the colonies of Spain (Latin America or
The Philippines)—insulares or Criollo 3.) Spanish mestizos, Chinese mestizos or 'Indios' (natives) dwelling within
or nearby the urban city (or town) and the church, and, finally, 4.) Chinese or Sangley and rural Indios.[4]

Father Burgos was a criollo, a Doctor of Philosophy[citation needed] whose prominence extended even to Spain, such
that when the new Governor and Captain-General Carlos Maria de la Torre arrived from Spain to assume his
duties, he invited Burgos to sit beside him in his carriage during the inaugural procession, a place traditionally
reserved for the Archbishopand who was a peninsular Spaniard. The arrival of the liberal governor De la Torre
was not welcomed by the ruling minority of friars, regular priests who belonged to an order
(Dominicans, Augustinians, Recollects and Franciscans) and their allies in civil government, but embraced by the
secular priests, majority of whom were mestizos and indios assigned to parishes and far-flung communities, who
believed the reforms and the equality they sought with peninsular Spaniards were at hand. In less than two years,
De la Torre was replaced by Rafael de Izquierdo.

The Cavite Mutiny

Main article: 1872 Cavite mutiny

The so-called Cavite Mutiny of workers in the arsenal of the naval shipyard over pay reduction owing to increased
taxation produced a willing witness to implicate the three priests, who were summarily tried and sentenced to
death by garrote on February 17, 1872. The bodies of the three priests were buried in a common, unmarked
grave in the Paco Cemetery, in keeping with the practice of burying enemies of the state.[2] Significantly, in the
archives of Spain, there is no record of how Izquierdo, himself a liberal, could have been influenced to authorize
these executions.[citation needed] Gregorio Meliton Martinez, then the Archbishop of Manila, refused to defrock the
priests, citing they did not break any canon law. He ordered the bells of every church to be rung in honor of the
executed priests. The aftermath of the investigation produced scores of suspects most of whom were exiled
to Guam in the Marianas. Except for a few who managed to escape to other ports like Hong Kong, most died
there.

1872 Cavite mutiny

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cavite Mutiny

Part of the Philippine revolts against Spain

Date January 20–21, 1872

Location Fort San Felipe, Cavite, Philippines
Result Spanish victory

 Execution of Gomburza

 Forced exile of many Philippine

liberals to Hong Kong, Marianas and other

places.

 Beginning of Filipino nationalism

leading to the Philippine Revolution.

Belligerents

Spain Filipino workers and military

personnel

Commanders and leaders

Felipe Ginoves Sgt. Ferdinand La Madrid

Strength

One regiment, four cannons Around 200 soldiers and

 laborers

The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was an uprising of military personnel of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish arsenal inCavite, Philippines on
January 20, 1872. Around 200 soldiers and laborers rose up in the belief that it would elevate to a national uprising. The mutiny was
unsuccessful, and government soldiers executed many of the participants and began to crack down on a burgeoning nationalist
movement. Many scholars believe that the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was the beginning of Filipino nationalism that would eventually
lead to the Philippine Revolution of 1896.[1]

[edit]Causes

The primary cause of the mutiny is believed to be an order from Governor-General Rafael de Izquierdo to subject the soldiers of the
Engineering and Artillery Corps to personal taxes, from which they were previously exempt. The taxes required them to pay a
monetary sum as well as to perform forced labor or called, "polo y servicio". The mutiny was sparked on January 20, when the
laborers received their pay and realized the taxes as well as the falla, the fine one paid to be exempt from forced labor, had been
deducted from their salaries.

[edit]Battle

Their leader was Ferdinand La Madrid, a mestizo Sergeant. The mutineers thought that soldiers in Manila would join them in a
concerted uprising, the signal being the firing of rockets from the city walls on that night. Unfortunately, what they thought to be the
signal was actually a burst of fireworks in celebration of the feast ofSt. Loreto, the patron of Sampaloc. News of the mutiny reached
Manila, the Spanish authorities feared for a massive Filipino uprising. The next day, a regiment led by General Felipe Ginoves
sieged the fort until the mutineers surrendered. Ginoves then ordered to fire immediately at those who surrendered including La
Madrid.

[edit]Aftermath

In the aftermath of the mutiny, all Filipino soldiers were disarmed and later sent into exile in Mindanao. Those suspected of
supporting the mutineers were arrested and executed. The mutiny was used by Spanish colonial government and the Spanish friars
to implicate three Filipino priests, Mariano Gómez, José Burgos andJacinto Zamora, collectively known as GOMBURZA and other
Filipino leaders. These executions, particularly those of the GOMBURZA, were to have a significant effect on people because of the
shadowy nature of the trials. Jose Rizal dedicated his work, El filibusterismo for the executed priests.

On January 27, 1872 Governor-General Rafael Izquierdo approved the death sentences on forty-one of the mutineers. On February
6, eleven more were sentenced to death, but these were commuted to life imprisonment. Others were exiled to Guam. Those who
were exiled were able to make their way to more progressive places like London, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. They were able to start
small movements that were to help the Philippine Revolution.
Biography, Education, Execution, Jose Rizal
Philippines
He was born on the island
of Luzon in Calamba, in the
Province of Laguna not far
from Manila, on June 19,
1861 and his complete
name was Jose Protacio
Rizal Mercado y Alonzo.
He was the seventh son of
11 children. Rizals parents
were educated and
belonged to distinguished
and wealthy families. His father, was a sugar planter
and landholder and his mother was Chinese.
Jose Rizal was a precocious boy and could already
recite the alphabet at the age of two. At the age of
four he wrote already sentences in Tagalog as well
as Spanish.
Jose Rizal had good schooling. On March 14, 1877,
when he still was 15 he finished already his
bachelor’s degree at the Ateneo Municipal, a school
run by Jesuits.
Jose Rizal received his Bachelor of Arts with a grade
of "sobresaliente" with highest honor. Then he went
to University of Santo Tomas, a Dominican-run
university and studied Philosophy and Letters
Jose Rizal in Europe
Supported by his brother Paciano he left Philippines
on May 3, 1882. A Spanish ship took him to
Singapore and there, he boarded a modern French
liner for Marseilles. From Marseilles he went to Spain
by a night train on June 13. 1882.
Spain
He starts his studies in Barcelona and in the same
year he moved to Madrid.
Madrid
At Universidad Central de Madrid (UCM). he studied
Letters, Medicine, particularly Phthalmology and
Philosophy.
He obtained his licentiate in medicine with creditable
performance in his medical subjects and had
become one of the premier students at UCM, rated
‘outstanding’ in general, Greek, Latin and Spanish
literature, and the same in history and advanced
Greek, and Hebrew.
Paris
After he finished his studies in Madrid In 1855 and
became a Dr of Philosophy, he left Spain and went
to Paris, France, and studied there Ophtalmology
under Professor Wecker.
Heidelberg Germany
For study the same subject in Germany under the
tutelage of Professor Becker he went In February
1886 to Heidelberg where he earned a second
doctorate.
Under the patronage of the famous pathologist
Rudolf Virchow he was inducted in Berlin as a
member of the Berlin Ethnological Society and the
Berlin Anthropological Society
After five years in Europe, Rizal was returning to
Philippines
Back to Europe
Later, Rizal's second European sojurn was the most
productive period of his life.
In London in 1889 he did historical research for eight
months in the library of the British Museum.
La Solidaridad
At this time, the Filipino expatriates in Spain founded
an association, called La Solidaridad and they
elected Rizal as an honorary president. They also
founded a journal with the same name in pusuit of
their political agenda and Rizal was a frequent
contributor.
Rizals books:
Noli me Tangere ( The Social Cancer )
Rizal began writing his 'Noli me Tangere' in 1884.
In Wilhelmsfeld near Heidelberg he finished this
famos novel and in In March 1887, Rizal was only
26, he released Noli Me Tangere, his first book.
The Title “noli me tangere” means “do not touch
me,”
El Filibusterismo
'El Filibusterismo' was Rizal’s second novel and the
sequel to 'Noli Me Tangere'.
In this book, Dr. Rizal clarified his political ideas.
'El Filibusterismo' was printed in Gante, Belgium in
1891
Banned
Rizal's books angered the Spaniards and the
hispanicized Filipinos due to their insulting
symbolism. José Rizal's writings are also very critical
of Spanish friars and the atrocities committed in the
name of the Church. Because of that Rizals books
were immediately banned by the friars in his country
at that time.
La Liga Filipina
In 1892 Jose Rizal returned to the Philippines and on
July 3 1892 he organized La Liga Filipina, a political
group that called for peace change for the islands of
Philippines.
But Spanish officials were displeased and Captain
General Despujol ordered Rizal's exile to Dapitan in
the province of Zamboanga on the island of
Mindanao.
Exile in Dapitan
In Dapitan, he opened a school , built a hospital and
a water supply system.
After four long years Rizals exile in Dapitan ended
because he was accepted as a medical doctor to
work with the Spanish army in Cuba.
Court martial
But in the Philippines, the political crisis was
escalating and the Philippine Revolution broke out
under the leadership of Andres Bonifacio.
Bonifacio were using Rizals name and writings as
inspiration and as a war-cry.
When Rizal reached Barcelona, he was arrested and
brought back to Manila to stand trial by court martial.
He was accuse of instigating and leading the
rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy.
Rizal was convicted on all charges and sentenced to
death.
Rizals last days
From November 3, 1986, to the date of his
execution, he was committed to Fort Santiago. In his
prison cell, he wrote an untitled poem, now known
as "Ultimo Adios"
Execution
Jose Rizal was executed by firing squad on
December 30, 1896. 7:00 a.m.
His last word, said in a loud voice: "consummatum
est" -"It is finished"
Rizal Park
The place of execution was called Bagumbayan and
later known as Luneta.
Now the place is officially renamed Rizal Park in
tribute to Jose Rizal as the national hero of the
Philippines.